BEN O’Connor’s Cork tenure has enjoyed the ideal start with three Division 1A league victories on the bounce. They will hope to continue that impressive form against Kilkenny in Nowlan Park on Sunday (3.15pm).

The Rebels can edge closer to a league final spot with a win over the Cats but victory for the Leinster side against Waterford (1-21 to 1-20) last weekend has brought them back into top-two contention.

If Cork want to get to a league final, this is a game they need to win, especially when their next game is against a flying Limerick in the Gaelic Grounds.

There is no denying Cork have been the team of the league so far. They have scored the most on average (29.67 points), conceded the least (22) and are the only team to maintain their 100 percent winning record. Added to that, players are flying individually – Alan Connolly (1-14), captain Darragh Fitzgibbon (0-13) and newcomer William Buckley (1-7) have all shown well.

One player that has performed but will miss Sunday’s clash is Shane Barrett after his red card against Tipperary resulted in a suspension.

TJ Reid may be taking a rest at the start of the inter-county season after his club exploits but Eoin Cody is certainly a player carrying the scoring mantle for Kilkenny. Cody is the top scorer from play in Division 1A with 1-9, 1-18 overall, so Cork will need to mark him tightly. The same attention has to go towards Martin ‘Mossy’ Keoghan who has scored 2-5 so far and was the top scorer from play in all competitions last year.

Cian Kenny and Jordan Molloy are always dangerous around the middle of the park while Mikey Butler is well able to mark the pick of the Cork forwards.

The victory over Waterford may have given Kilkenny the confidence they needed but if Cork continue in the vein of form they are on, they should get over the line, despite the three-week layoff.